Apparatus fob



D. A. RAGGIO.

APPARATUS FOB INTERCITY EXCHANGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.24 l9l5- Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Om P@ m Jiu/6R25?" 0M H077@ reach` of a number of cities.

DANTE A.. RAGGIO, OF` CHICAGO., ILLINOIS.

AEPAJiA'lUSA FOR INTERCITY EXCHANGE.

Speeiiicationof Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application led 1December 24, 1915. Serial No. 68,520.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, DANTE A. RAGGIO, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in `Apparatus `for Intercity Exchanges, oi' which the viollowingas the. specification.

This invention relates to a device and method for intercity exchange andparticularly ,to a means and vmethodiof 'application of said means whereby the equivalent of merchandise may be sent'from `city-to city with no possibility ofthe diversion of the money spent to otherpurposesthan those for which it was intended.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide a means or method wherebya person in one city may send` to a person in `anotherscity,

,a merchandise order, upon the-presentation of which at a definitely designated-store, the recipient ofthe order may receive-merchandise only to the amount specified in@ the order without the possibility'ovfa diversion ofthe moneyy spent to some other-purpose and yWithout *sending cash'.-

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a face view of a. certificate of said intercity exchange made-according to my invention.

`F ig. .2 is a view ofthe check system-showing a method of `punching to indicate-a certain amount.

Fig. .l is a view of the check systemshowing a method `ofindicatingcther amounts.

Fig. 4t is a View of a portion of thefreverse face of the certificate.

According to my y inventioman association is formed comprising one or more stores in Each of these stores may thereafter `issue certificates `of inter-city exchange, or lmerchandise orders upon any member of the association. A* person, therefore, desirous ofsupplying a person in other locality-With-merchandise'can purchase at the, association store in his city, a certificate of inter-city exchangeproperly drawn, stamped and filled out, and mail this certificate to the intended beneficiary. The beneficiary, or reci ient oftheorder must then-present the or er to the store indicated thereupon, receiving therefor, lmerchandise iii-exchange and nothing else. Needlessto say, such a system is of great utility for sending Christmas gifts, wedding gifts,

necessary articles 'for children away at school, etc., where the giver is desirous that the recipient select the article he most dew sires where the send-ing' of moneywould be objectionable as indelicate or because the money `might be Y diverted l to another use. From the standpointof the purchasing public,-this system and device would be of great benefit and utility. From the standpoint of the storeinvolved in the system, the device is also of greatfbenefit-because every certificate sentirepresents the purchase at a single store in some `city of merchandise to the amount lof (the certificate.-

kn-adjustment of accounts between the various stores forming the association is a simpley matter. The certificates could go throughA a clearing house or lcould be cashed directly, ,each store drawing upon its r spective` associates for the amountgof the merchandise orders issued by them and talrenup by-it.

Ilhave shown in the drawings, a device adapted for the application of the system described.' It consists, essentially, of a slip of paper, preferablyscreened in removable ink, as in checks and theglike, and divided into two-pieces, land 2' by a` linefof perforations or--fthelike` 3. The part 2fcompris'es a merchandise-order orcertificate of inter-city exchangefand ,is suitably-marked as indicated. Inwthe particular certificate illustrated, 4f represents a space atvthe upper left hand corner lof the certificate prepared for the designationofthe amount, this amount being again designated, preferably by an indelible checksmarkingnmachine, as indicated at 5. Thename of the city inwhich the ystore issuing Ithe certificate is located is given in the upper right hand corner as indicated at 6 andthe nameof this store givenas indicated at 7. Thecertificates issued by one store should beseriallynumbered as indicated at 9 and the number of the associate upon whom the certificate is drawn should also appear as indicated at 10. The name of the recipient or ypayeeis Written in as indicated at 11 and the name of the store upon whom the certificate is-drawn indicated as at 12 with its associate number as shown at 13. The name of the purchaser should also appear as indicated-at 14C andthe signature and number ofthe oflicial making `out the certificate should appear as indicated at 14 as well'as the cashiers stamp indicated at 15.

Inasmuch as these certificates must be payable without delays or verification in clties remote from that of their origin, it is essential that adequate means be provided to pre- 5 vent their being raised or tampered with. Such means I now describe: A portion of part 2 of the sli at the extreme left thereof, is provided wit a table of check numbers, comprising a column of numbers running from throu h 10 and to 0 again at the ex- :treme left am? at the right as indicated at 16, Land the square table of numbers runni to 10 between, as shown at 17. To the right of 'the right hand column 16 is a column to indicate cents as indicated at 18 and at the bottom'an indication of $100 as shown at 19. The part 1 of the slip, to the left of the dividing line 3 contains upon its front face, `a brief extract'of the merchandise ordered, indicated thereon. Upon its rear face it contains a replica 16 l17 18 and 19 (Fig. 4) corresponding in all respects to the indlcation 16 17 18 and 19. After a certificate of inter-city exchange has been made out and properly slgnedz and torn from a book if 'carried therein, 1t is folded upon Athe perforated line 3 which brings the two check numfber systems together so that they match thro hout. A punch is then applied so as to in icate the number of ldollars and cents `for which the certificate was issued. This is preferably accomplished as follows: If the amount for which the certificate was issued isbetween one and ten dollars, the numbers "Lonfb'oth sides of the amount in the left-hand column 1.6 are 4punched out, and the number `itself unched-out of the right hand column 16. has in Fig. 2 is shown the `punch-ing for a` pumhase of $7.00, where the '8 and 6 are punched out of the left-hand column 16, andthe 7 unched out of the right hand colnmn 16. vhere two numbers are punched "outfoffthe first column 16 :there must be no .l tions-upon the table of check num- 4|;u e rs 117 and a corresponding number must lbe punched out of the right hand :column 16. Any other :numbers vpunchedfrom the check number table 17 at once indicates fraud' or mistake and :prevents the acceptance of :the

o vlouder. Where the amount is $10.00 or-over, @the first ligure thereof Yis punched out from the lefthandcolumn 16,the :entire amount out inlthe most conveniently legible orm the table 17 and the last number ,55 is punched out from the right hand column 16. Thus (see Fig. 3) Aanorder for $96.00 twould be punched out by .punching out the tifs-om the left hand column 16, the number 6 from the ri ht hand column 16 and the 160 numbers 9 an 6 in the most conveniently legible form from the body of the table, the v6fbeing preferably unched below the 9 to indicate that 96 an not 69 is the number Krequired, although confusion in this respt fc5 is rendered absolutely impossible by punch- 'mustbe ing out the 9 and 6 in the columns 16. Thus where only one ligure is punched out of the left hand column 16, two more figures must be punched out of the body of the table 17, neither more nor less. Any departure from this requirement at once indicates fraud or mistake and prevents the acceptance of the order. Only one table is providedv for cents, no extra precaution being advisable here. The particular system of tables and columns shown will provide for any sum up to $99.75. To allow a certificate to be issued for $100 the indicator 19 is provided. If the star is punched, no other punch can appear in the check number systn. After the certificate and coupon havefbeen properly filled out and the amount punched as above described, the purchaser may tear oi the coupon, retaining it as a recei t and memorandum, and mail the merc andise order to the desired party who -can cash it Lin at the indicated store as above explained.

A carbon is preferabl made of the order lby the store issuingit an sent Ato the clearing Ahouse or to the storeupon which the order is drawn as a check and memorandum of loutstanding certiicat. This method may, however, be dispensed with, the safeguards upon the merchandise certificate itself being ample. I have shown in the drawings, a

lportion of a stub Azwhich may be dfivlded from the portion l of the slip by perforated line as indicated at 20, rthis stub bein retained'in abook and containing a brie abstract similar to that upon the coupon 1 as a record to be kept by `the'store issuing the certicate.

I claim 1. A certificate -of intercity exc to be issued by a predetermined store in one city for the issuance by a predetermined store in another city withoutwthe sending of money of an indicated value of merchandise only, comprising a slip having thereon indicia indicating the name and iocation of the issuing store, adesignated ace for the name ofthe other store in anot er city, a dem'gnated space for the vname of :the beneficiary, a designated .space .for the indication of the value, a `statement that the indicated sum paid .in menchandise and selected from thefstock of said otherstore, and -designated for proper counter-signature and authorization lby the issuing store.

2. A certificate of intercity exchange, comprisi-n a slip having thereon indicia indicating te -name and location of the issuing store, a designated ace for the name of another store in me er city, a designated space for the name ofthe beneficiary, adesignated space for the indication of value, a' designated statement indicating that the-sum must be paid to beneficiary in merchandise, a designated space for roper authorization of issue, and a detachab e coupon'containing an abstract of the ne otiations involved in the use of the slip, an protecting devices to prevent tam ering with the slip.

3. A certi cate of intercity exchange comprising a slip bearin indicia indicating an order from one merc ant to a merchant in another city to pay a stated beneficiary merchandise only to a stated value, and means to prevent tampering with said slip and comprising tabulated numbers so arranged that for amounts less than ten dollars the numbers on each side of the first figure of the amount will be unched in one column and the said first gure itself be punched from another column and the cents punched in still another column.

4. A certificate of intercity7 exchange comprising a slip bearing indicia indicating an order from one merchant to a merchant in another city to pay a stated beneficiary merchandise only to a stated value, and means to prevent tampering with said slip and comprising tabulated numbers so arranged that for amounts less than ten dollars the numbers on each side of the first figure of the amount will be punched in one column and the said first figure itself be punched from another column and the cents punched in still another column, and a detachable coupon bearing on one face an abmeans to prevent tampering with said slip comprising a vertical column of numbers and a square table of numbers so arranged that for amounts less than ten dollars the numbers on each side ofthe first figure of the amount will be punched in said vertical column and no numbers punched from said square table, while for amounts greater than ten dollars, and less than one hundred dollars, the first figure of the amount will be punched from said vertical column and the first two figures from said square table.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specication in the presence of two witnesses.

DANTE A. RAGGIO.

Witnesses:

I. V. CURRAN, MARION EPHGRAVE. 

